Saturday, March 17, 2007

A peek into the Euro mindset

I hold no brief for Dan Hannan, the Telegraph columnist and Tory MEP for the South East (Kent). I like him as a man and respect his grey matter, but I feel that in the final analysis the existence of men like him in the Tory Party allows the current leadership of that ancient crowd the eurosceptic camouflage that allows them to ignore the reality of what is going on. “Don’t worry chaps”, says Dave. "We’ve still got Dan on board, things cannot be as bad as you say”.However his latest blog post, which is essentially just a write up of his own speech has collected this comment from Belgium which speaks volumes about the response that British concerns about the receive on the Continent,

Dear Mr. D. Hannan,

Why are you doing all this?

You can feel his pain. It really is incomprehensible to him that people in a democracy – or even a simulacrum of a democracy - might hold a different view to him. Adiaan he is doing his job, to do anything else would be top let down the millions who voted for him and those like him

Why is almost everything you write so negative and destructive? One almost feels that you get the greatest possible pleasure in putting a text together ensuring that it is provocative and hurtfull to all people across the Channel.

There is no desire to be hurtful to people across the Channel. All there is is a desire to say things as they are. Why should it hurt anybody to hear, again the truth that the Constitution was voted down. Why should the way that the European Union elite ride roughshod over people’s wishes be hushed up to save their embarrassment and to protect the easily bruised like yourself?

And you are not on your own; I recently counted at least ten "Anti-Europe Organisations" active in the UK.

I think you will find that there are more and more of these organizations springing up in the UK.

They all produce their own Bulletins, Journals, Letters, WEB sites, etc.What, they work as well. How can that possibly be? It is almost a disgrace that people n a democracy might want to spend time and money doing what they believe in, shame on them.

Just imaging all EU countries to be so active; 250 Euro-Sceptics Publicity Centers! In some 15 different languages!

Adriaan, I think you would find that there are more an more such organizations springing up on the Continent to. And what is that you want. For people to be politically inert. It sounds as if you feel that political activity amongst the electorate is something you disapprove of.

The European Ubion would be in a big crisis. Might not even exist anymore.

Yes, and, you mean if people said they didn’t want it, it might not exist. Again, what is the problem with that, if that is what the people want?

Would it be helpfull for all Continental Member States of the EU to initiate activities leading to the UK to leave the European Union?

They are, just by continuing to act as if they had won the referenda in France and Holland. No more action is needed. Euroscepticism in Britain only exists because of the actions of the EU, without it there would be no call for it.

Solving your problems in the most logic way.

It is alright, I trust the people of my country to solve their own problems without your help. Again that is what a democracy means. If your problems are created by politicians, then you solve them by voting them out. But of course in the case of the European Institutions you can’t. Which, of course is the point.

This campaign could have the slogan:

"EU - BETTER OFF WITHOUT THE UK"

Somehown I doubt the EU would be better of without the UK, but that isn’t my principle concern. It up to those on the Continent to decide their fuue, just as it is up to the British to decide theirs.

Afterwards you can ask yourself the question:

"Were we pushed or did we jump"?

Kind regards,

Adriaan - BelgiumAdriaan van der Sluijs

These comments and the mindset that go with them are instantly recognisable. It is the authentic sound of people who just don’t get it.